OTTAWA –– A strong majority of Canadians support restricting social media access for children under the age of 16, according to a new national survey conducted by Angus Reid Institute.
The poll, which surveyed more than 4,000 respondents, found that approximately three-quarters of Canadians favour a ban similar to measures implemented in Australia, where youth under 16 are prohibited from creating accounts on major platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.
The findings come amid growing global scrutiny of social media platforms and their impact on young users. The survey follows a recent court ruling in California that ordered major tech companies to pay damages after determining that certain platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive.
In Canada, the issue is gaining political traction and is expected to be discussed at the upcoming Liberal Party national convention. Proposals under consideration include placing greater responsibility on technology companies to prevent underage users from accessing their platforms.
Despite widespread support for a ban, the survey also revealed that many Canadians believe parents should play the primary role in regulating children’s social media use. Pollsters described this as a notable contrast between public support for government intervention and expectations of parental responsibility.
Concerns about the impact of social media are widespread, with 94 per cent of respondents expressing worry about negative effects on mental health. Other major concerns include addiction, excessive screen time, misinformation, online predators and cyberbullying.
The survey was conducted online between March 11 and 17. While it provides a broad snapshot of public opinion, industry standards note that online surveys do not carry a traditional margin of error due to non-random sampling.
The results highlight a growing national conversation around digital safety, youth wellbeing and the role of governments, parents and technology companies in managing the risks associated with social media use among young Canadians.